Neurochemical relationships in the action of opioid analgesics on cerebral cortex
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2026

Use of the Operant Orofacial Pain Assessment Device (OPAD) to Measure Changes in Nociceptive Behavior
Published on: June 10, 2013
1Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics, and Medical Prophylactic Faculties, I. M. Sechenov Moscow Medical Academy.
Abstract:
The experiments with unrestrained cats showed that opioid analgesics in near-analgesic doses decreased the amplitude of the primary test response recorded in the second sensorimotor zone of the cerebral cortex in 20-150-msec interval between the stimuli applied to thalamocortical fibers radiating from thalamic n. VPL. Application of test substances affecting certain neurotransmitter processes and microionophoretic application of drugs and neurotransmitters to cortical neurons showed that the inhibitory effect of opioid analgesics on cerebral cortex is probably realized through GABA-, serotonin-, beta-adreno-, and cholinergic structures. The excitatory amino acids are also involved into this process.
Related Concept Videos
Neurochemical Transmission: Sites of Drug Action
CNS Stimulants: Cocaine, Amphetamines and Cannabinoids
Opioid Receptors: Overview
Analgesia and Pain Management
Opioid Analgesics: Morphine and Other Natural Cogeners
Opioid Analgesics: Synthetic and Semisynthetic Opioids

